West Ham 1, Chelsea 0

It was inevitable that all the post-match talk would be about Paolo Di Canio after the controversial Italian striker came off the bench to score the goal which gave West Ham a 1-0 victory over Chelsea and keep the club's survival fight going to the last week of the season.

It was inevitable that all the post-match talk would be about Paolo Di Canio after the controversial Italian striker came off the bench to score the goal which gave West Ham a 1-0 victory over Chelsea and keep the club's survival fight going to the last week of the season.

Di Canio replaced Les Ferdinand after 56 minutes at Upton Park and 14 minutes later he swept home Trevor Sinclair's cross to capture three vital points.

Hammers' caretaker-manager Trevor Brooking, deputising for stricken Glenn Roeder, said: "I had Paolo in the wings and I said to him that if we were level or behind he would get at least half an hour.

"He got very emotional in the dressing room afterwards and the lads wound him up by saying it had to be him who scored, but it has been a good day and we march on for another week.

"There was never any doubt for me when I came into this role that if Paolo was fit and had no recurrence of his gastric trouble then he would be involved. He has got that guile and awareness and if there was going to be a chance in the six-yard box then I am happy it fell to him.

"The way he finished was special. He just lifted the ball deliberately a bit over Carlo Cudicini who had spread his body well, he didn't snatch at it. Paolo will get the headlines but everyone did their bit and it was a team effort."

Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri is a man of few words - at least meaningful ones - but he got it just about right in one sentence when he said: "When I saw Paolo go on to the pitch I said `mmmm, he's a very dangerous man'. I hope this result is a good medicine for Glenn Roeder."

Roeder was released from hospital on Friday night as he continues his recovery from the minor stroke he suffered on Easter Monday, and it is anyone's guess how his nerves held up as he listened to this game.

Brooking said: "Glenn's wife Faith has already rung to say he listened to it on the radio, and hopefully there will be an opportunity for the players to visit him this week - I am not sure if I should take him the video of this game though."

West Ham must win at Birmingham in their final game of the season and hope that Bolton or Leeds slip up, but at least they are still in there fighting.

This defeat was not the end of the world for Chelsea because their rivals for the final Champions League place, Liverpool, also lost. That means Ranieri's men need just a point at home to the Reds next weekend to claim the final place.

Ranieri added: "Fortunately Liverpool lost so that is okay for us. Now we play against them for the final Champions League place at home and whoever deserves to win will win."